Tool removing device



J. R. MCCOY TOOL REMOVING DEVICE Feb. 4, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Figo@ INVENTOR.

J. R. MCCOY Feb. 4, 1964 United States Patent Office 3,126,270 Patented Feb. 4, 1954 3,129,270 TSGL REI-OWG DEViCE .lames Roy McCoy, Lubbock, Tex., assigner to Harvest Queen Mill d: Elevator Company, Plainview, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed May 24, 1962, Ser. No. 137,361 Claims. (Cl. 16e-123) This invention pertains to wells and more particularly to a device for removing one element from other elements in the Well with the provision of removing both of the elements from within the well.

In deep wells (eg, oil wells) it is often desirable to have considerable equipment in the well. Sometimes it is desirable to remove a portion of this equipment le-aving other equipment in the well. At other times it is desirable to re-move all the equipment within the Iwell. I have invented a mechanism for achieving this purpose.

A cardinal feature of this mechanism is that a portion of equipment can be removed from -a well with a limited linear upward force determined by shear pins of a known shear strength. By limiting this force, further damage or trouble can be avoided. Besides this force being predetermined by the shear pins, the release is instantaneous and not dependent on gauges or the skill of the operator.

Briefly, the equipment which is normally anchored within the well has female splines at the top thereof. Below the splines there is `a camming surface terminated by a downward facing shoulder. The often removed equipment has male splines, which mate with female splines, and shear pins which fit below the shoulder. If it is desired to remove the removable equipment, an upward force exerted on it shears the pins allowing it to be removed. If the anchored equipment is to be removed, the anchored equipment may be rotated by rotation of the splines. When it is released by this rotation, an attempt is made to remove it by upward stress. if it is stuck in the well, the shear pins will fail, releasing it. In such an event, a special tool is lowered into the well having very strong latches or lugs which catch under the shoulder to remove it by this special tool.

An object of this invention is to provide a mechanism for removing equipment from a well.

Another object is to provide a mechanism where the seldom removed equipment may be removed by the equipment already in the well; or if this fails, that it may be removed by special equipment.

Further objects are' to achieve the above with a mechanism that is sturdy, compact, durable, simple, and reliable, yet inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

The speciiic nature of the invention as well as other objects, uses, `and advantages thereof will clearly appear from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, the different views of which are not to the same scale, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the equipment in a well.

FIG. 2 is an axial sectional view showing the particular mechanism, taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an axial sectional view of a special tool to remove stuck equipment.

As may be seen in the drawings, this mechanism has been illustrated with pump and packer 12. It will be understood that the tool can be used for many dierent types equipment which would be found down in a well and showing it with the pump 1) and packer 12 is only exemplary. In general terms the packer 12 is an anchor element anchored in the well and the pump 10 and eduction tube 14 together form a removable element.

In normal operation, the pump 1G is attached to the eduction tube 14. It is desirable to anchor the pump 1G' to the packer 12 which is held securely in place to casing 16 by slips v13 of the packer 12. The slips 13 are set in the casing 116 Or released therefrom by rotation of the packer 12.

According to this invention, the pump 10 has an eX- tension 22. of the eduction tube 14 attached to the bottom thereof. This extension 22 is attached to the tubular top 24 of the packer 12. The tubular top 24 has an axial opening at the top thereof. This opening has a plurality of splines 26 around it, therefore the opening is non-circular. inwardly turned flange 23 is immediately below the splines 26. The flange 28 is attached to the tubul-ar top 2d by threading or otherwise with the top of the iiange 28 abutting against the bottom of the splines 26. The flange 28 has a cylindrical, axial opening 3d therethrough. The opening 30 is of smaller diameter than the opening with the splines 26. The bottom of the ange 2.8 forms radial shoulder 32. On the top of the flange 2S is conical cam surface 34 sloping downward.

The lower extension 22 of the eduction tube 14 has splined portion 36. This non-circular portion is correlative to and telescoped within the splines 26. Four radial holes extend through the extension 22 below the splined portion 36. A shear pin 38 extends through each hole. The shear pins 38 may be called lugs and are cylindrical in shape so lthat they may move radially inward of the extension 22. Each has shoulder 4d on the inside part which 4abuts against the inside of the extension 22 to limit their outward travel. Shear pins 38 also have springs 42 connected to ring 44 which bias them outward.

The extension 22 terminates immediately below the ring 44 with a threaded joint. Lower guide 46 is there threaded into the extension 22. The lower guide 46 provides means for guiding the extension 22 into the opening 3Q. The guide 46 has an axial bore therethrough to provide communication of fluid upward.

Immediately above the shear pins 38 the extension 22 has a groove containing O-ring 48 which is means for sealing the extension 22 of the eduction tube 14 to the ltubular top 2d of the packer 12. An additional means for forming this seal is provided by O-ring Sii' which is located in a groove in the lower radial face of upper guide 52. The upper guide 52 is attached to and sealed to the extension 22 as by welding 54 or by shrink lit or by other means. The upper guide S2 has llange 56 rwhich is of slightly lesser diameter than the inside of the casing 16 so that `the extension 22 is maintained approximately centered within the casing 16.

The upper edge of each of the splines 26 is beveled. The lower edge of each spline of the splined portion 36 is beveled. Therefore when the eduction tube 14 is lowered into place the splined portion 36 telescopes within the splines 26 without possibility of the splines 26 and 36 coming together and preventing telescoping.

To connect the pump 1li `into the tubular top 24 of Athe packer 12, the pump 1|? is lowered without rotation into the well. The lower guide `46 will guide the extension 22 through the opening Slt. As the shear pins 33 contact the camming surface 34, they are cammed inwardly. When the pins 318 are below the shoulder 32 they are forced outward by the springs 42. The eduction tube 14 is sealed to Ethe top portion 24 by the O-rings 4S and Si). The shear pins 33 have suiiicient strength to provide the desirable attachment of the pump 1t? to the packer 12. If the packer 12 is being set for the first time, it is attached to the extension 22 at the surface of the ground. Then when the desirable location is reached, the packer 12 is set by rotation of the eduction tube 14, as is well-known and is common practice in lthe art.

if it is desired to remove the pump only, upward force upon the eduction tube 14 will cause the shear pins 3S to Y p oint below the O-ring 65.

' upward movement of the eduction tube 14. If -the packer 12 is free, it is removed. v However, should the Vpacker 12 be stuck by corrosion tothe casing 16, the shear pins 38 will fail. -In such an event it may be necessary to remove it by the special tool illustrated in FIG. 4.

The special tool in FIG. 4 has a threaded connection 5S at the top for attaching it to a string of tubular goods. It has a non-circular or splined portion 6G having splines 62 which are correlativo to and may be telescoped in the splines 26. Bottom portion 64 of thesesplines 62 are Y beveled so that they are sure to telescope therein. The special tool is Vsealed to the cylindrical surface Si? by O-ring 65.

vThe tool has-an axial bore 68 to a point below the O-ring 66. 'From there holes 70 furnish communication to a of llatches or lugs V72 which arev mounted for outward movement and are biased Voutward by springs 74. The lugs. 72 are very strong and will not fail easily. VWith this tool the packer .12 can be removed. The opening 63 and holes 70 provide means to 4pump fluid below the packereto aid in the removal.

The lugs 72 are pivoted by pins 76. However, `the lower portion of the lugs 72 seat against shoulder 78 -of the tool itself. The upward strength of the lugs 72'is not determined by the strength of the pins 76 but by the f strength of the shoulderl 78 and the lugs 72 themselves.

' The outward movement of the lugs 72 is limited by cylindrical upward flange Sil -Which surrounds the area containing the pin 76.

It will be apparent that the embodiment shown in only exemplary and` that variousrmodifications can be made in construction, materials, and arrangement within the scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a well having (a) an anchor Velement anchored Within the well,

(b) the anchor element releasable from the well and (c) a removable element,

the vimprovement comprising: (d) the anchor element having an opening at the top thereof,

(e) said opening having a non-circular cross section,

(flan inward vturned ange attachedV to the anchor element below said opening,

(g) the top of the ange having a cam surface which slopes inward and downward,

Thetool carries a plurality (h) the bottom of the flange having a shoulder,

(i) the'ilange having an axial opening therethrough smaller than said non-circular opening above it;

(j) the removable element having a portion having a non-circular outline correlative to the non-circular opening of the anchor element and telescoped within the `non-circular opening,

(k) at least yone lug on the removable element,

(l) the lug below the shoulder of the ange,

(m) the lug mounted for movement toward the axis of Y the removable element, and (n) means for sealing the `anchor element to the removable element. e

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 lwherein the llug is in the form of a shear pin which is designed to fail at a predetermined stress.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein (o) said removable element has an axial vbore therein,

(p) said `axial bore opening below the means vfor seallng.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the non-circular opening and correlativo portion are in the form of a splined joint.

5. In a well having t (a) ya casing, t

(b) a packer anchored to the casing,

(c) the'packer releasable from the casing by rotation,

and

(d) an eduction tube,

the improvement comprising:

(e) the packer having a tubular top,

(f) the tubular top having an' axial opening at the top thereof, i

(g) the opening having internal splines,

(h) an rinward turned flange attached to the tubular top below the splined opening,

(i) the top of the ilange havinga downward turned Vconic shaped, cam surface,

(j) the bottom of the ange having a radial shoulder, (k) the flange having an axial cylindric-al bore therethrough, smaller than'lthe splined opening above it;

(I) the eduction tube having a `splined portion near the bottom thereof, (m) .the splined portion correlative to and telescoped within the splined opening,

(n) a plurality Vof shear pins extending from the educrtion tube,

(o) theshear pins extending below the shoulder-of the ange, Y

(p) `the shear pins mounted for movement toward the axis of the eduction tube,

(q) springs biasing the-shear pins outward, and

(r) means for sealing .the eduction tube to 4the tubular top of the packer.

No references` cited. 

1. IN A WELL HAVING (A) AN ANCHOR ELEMENT ANCHORED WITHIN THE WELL, (B) THE ANCHOR ELEMENT RELEASABLE FROM THE WELL AND (C) A REMOVABLE ELEMENT, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: (D) THE ANCHOR ELEMENT HAVING AN OPENING AT THE TOP THEREOF, (E) SAID OPENING HAVING A NON-CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION, (F) AN INWARD TURNED FLANGE ATTACHED TO THE ANCHOR ELEMENT BELOW SAID OPENING, (G) THE TOP OF THE FLANGE HAVING A CAM SURFACE WHICH SLOPES INWARD AND DOWNWARD, (H) THE BOTTOM OF THE FLANGE HAVING A SHOULDER, (I) THE FLANGE HAVING AN AXIAL OPENING THERETHROUGH SMALLER THAN SAID NON-CIRCULAR OPENING ABOVE IT; (J) THE REMOVABLE ELEMENT HAVING A PORTION HAVING A NON-CIRCULAR OUTLINE CORRELATIVE TO THE NON-CIRCULAR OPENING OF THE ANCHOR ELEMENT AND TELESCOPED WITHIN THE NON-CIRCULAR OPENING, (K) AT LEAST ONE LUG ON THE REMOVABLE ELEMENT, (L) THE LUG BELOW THE SHOULDER OF THE FLANGE, (M) THE LUG MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD THE AXIS OF THE REMOVABLE ELEMENT, AND (N) MEANS FOR SEALING THE ANCHOR ELEMENT TO THE REMOVABLE ELEMENT. 